Wageningen, The Netherlands and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
November 1, 2022
South African seed potato producer RegenZ and European hybrid potato seed innovator Solynta announced today a partnership to bring hybrid true potatoes to the South African farming community.
The companies will collaborate in further trials and join forces to facilitate the introduction of Solynta’s ‘climate smart’ and disease-free genetics to the South African farmer. With limited water resources, reduced farming land area and further limits on chemical inputs, the Solynta hybrid true potato seeds offer the best starting material for good yields and healthy potatoes.
“We believe that introduction of Solynta’s innovative hybrid potato technology in South Africa will bring huge benefits to the potato producing farming communities,” says Justin Platt, Managing Director of RegenZ.
“We see from Solynta field trials in the region that the technology can contribute towards a more efficient and sustainable potato production. Hybrid True Potato Seeds (HTPS) have the capacity to address food security goals in line with South African government objectives. With its unique ability to build in disease resistances, Solynta’s hybrids will deliver a predictable and rapid flow of improved products. By delivering these genetics through true seeds, many other advantages, such as the provision of disease-free seed and a reduction in storage and transport costs, will be achieved. Therefore, we believe it has great value to both commercial and smallholder potato farmers to collaborate with Solynta on the formal introduction of hybrid true potato seed in South Africa.”
Charles Miller, Solynta’s Commercial Director, emphasizes the global impact of the new hybrid potato varieties.
“This partnership marks the shared values of our companies,” says Miller. “Like RegenZ, Solynta is committed to developing sustainable innovations that improve the quality of life. For Solynta, that means ensuring that nutritious, easy-to-grow potatoes are abundantly available to fight food insecurity.”
“Solynta’s new hybrid true potato varieties have been developed to offer an answer to the nutrition security challenges that the world is facing,” he adds. “Our non-GMO, disease-free potato seed delivers highly delicious and nutritious potatoes and requires fewer pesticides to produce great yield.”
On the partnership with RegenZ, he says, “The goal of this collaboration, for Solynta, is to benefit local farmers – in South Africa and worldwide. As potato production makes up 45% of the country’s total vegetable production, exceeding 51 000 ha per year, it is clearly one of the most important vegetable crops in South Africa. With Solynta’s seeds, local farmers will benefit from using the best, clean and disease-free starting material for their potato production. We look forward to working with RegenZ to develop and introduce potato cultivars that will thrive and prosper in South Africa. Acting as Solynta’s representative in the region, RegenZ is playing a critical role in navigating the commercial and regulatory challenges associated with establishing HTPS in South and Southern Africa. This includes collaborating with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development [DALRRD] and other key industry stakeholders on establishing a suitable regulatory framework for the safe introduction of HTPS into the market.”
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